Health bosses yesterday denied they asked families during medical card reviews to prove their children have Down Syndrome.

The Health Service Executive rejected claims parents were being queried by its staff about children’s illnesses.

HSE National Director of Primary Care John Hennessy said they had trawled through records and no question was posed.

He added: “We have reviewed the correspondence in its entirety. It does not ask that one question that is being suggested by Down Syndrome Ireland.

“I don’t want to be in dispute with Down Syndrome Ireland or anybody with the Down Syndrome Association but it is important to be clear. We have also reviewed calls to our call centre – the question alleged was not asked.”

Hundreds of families have claimed they were being asked to prove their children’s illnesses before having their medical card extended.

Mr Hennessy said 30,000 discretionary medical cards were stripped from people during the review.

He denied the situation had turned into a mess but admitted he cannot guarantee everyone who lost their card would get them back.

HSE chief Tony O’Brien said some could have theirs returned within weeks and added: “Because individuals who have already lost their discretionary issues medical cards had been assessed and found not to qualify, the HSE has a difficulty in reissuing medical cards in that circumstance.

“Minister [James] Reilly and Minister [Alex] White are working on arrangements that will enable us to reissue those cards.

“Government is clearly committed on creating conditions so that they can get their cards back and completing that quickly.

“My understanding is that it will be a matter of weeks.” Dr Reilly and Mr White met with a series of interest groups yesterday to try and rectify the crisis.

Meanwhile, the HSE yesterday defended a decision to deploy two helicopters to the Aran Islands for an injured tourist at a cost of €7,000.

A visitor in her 70s broke her ankle on Inis Moir and was to be flown to hospital on a commuter flight. But the ambulance service sent a helicopter, which was then diverted so it sent another one. The cost was around €7,000. The commercial flight would have been €400.